Illuminator for speedometers and gages.



@FFKQE EDWARD S. ABRAHAMS,

F INDIANAPOLS, INDIANA.

ILLMINATOR FOB. SPEEDOMETERS AND GAGES.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917..

Application sued :rune 19, 1914i, serial n@ 246,144. Renewed any e, v191e. seran No. 107,570.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD S. BRAHAMS, a citizenyot the United States, residing at ndian-apolis, in the county of Marion and State of indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in llluminators for Speedometers and Gages, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for illuminating the indicators ot speedometers or gages, and a device ot such character made to accord with my invention comprises a casing that has a transparent trout, an opaque dial with apertures therethrough which are located in trout ot indicating cylinders or number-wheels, an opaque disk with apertures for the passage of the cylinders or number-wheels; the dial and disk being maintained by the easing in parallel relation one to the other and separated to form a light chamber, the disk having a bowl shaped depression to receive an incandescent lamp for illuminating the characters on the cylinders or number-wheels.

The inventionalso comprises a structure that is made so that the lamp, its socket and connecting piece may be readily attached and detached without disturbing the regis.

tering mechanism contained therein.

The object ot' my invention is to provide a gage, as an odometer or speedometer with a lamp that is incased within the frame of such measuring device. the lamp being to one side or behind an opaque dial which will obscure the lamp, the light rays trom thel lamp illuminating the exposed portion ot the cylinder or nm ber-wheel.

A 'further olfjert oi1 my invention is to provide the casing ot a gage, as an odometer or speedometer with a disk having a lamp receiving chamber which is overlaid by an opaipaidiah the disk and casing ha ving associated therewith means 'for supporting the lamp, its mnecting piece so that such parts may ue i., ily removed to renew the lamp, the dia having openings `tor eX- posing porti-ons o the. registering cylinders or niunbenwheels.

A further object of my invention is to pro- Vide a. gage, odometer or speedometer with scrlct and an apertured dial the walls ot' the dial beingy upturned7 the lcylinders or number wheels being below the openings, such gage, odometer or speedometer having within its casing an incandescent lamp so situated that the light rays therefrom Wili illuminate both or number wheels, one side of the centers thereof being rendered visible by direct light rays and the other side by reflected light.'

A further object of my invention is to provide a gage, odometer or speedometer with an internally maintained incandescent electric lamp the incandescent element thereof being located to impact upon an angularly disposed part. ot' the dial and to be directed upon a part of the indicating cylinders or number wheels that is opposite to the lamp.

lin the accompanying drawings which illust late a preferred form of my invention, Figure l is a front elevation of a speedometer, the glass and the dial being partly broken away to show the lamp and a portion ot' the disk that is adjacent to the lamp.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken substantially casing space for a disk or plate and a lamp and the parts associated with the lamp to maintain the same in position.

The casing 1 is provided at its rear with an opening 2 of a size to admit of the insertion of a tube 3, the lower or outer end of the tube having a flange to overlie the eX- terior portion ot' the casing surrounding the openin. rlhe casing is also provided with interior-means for holding in place a 4plate 4- thathas formed therein a bowl-shaped depression 5 that has an opening G and a flange 7 with exterior threads to engage with in-l terior threads on the tube 3. has theretlnfough openings for the indicati'mg disks or number wheels 8, the openings being somewhat larger than the sight openings through the dial 9.

The dial 9 is maintainedso that its under side will be above the surface ot the indi- The plate A:

eating disks or number wheels, and the lonf provide areflecting surface to directthe rays` of light from the lamp upon the-surface of the indieating disks, after the light rays 'l e irmzmdesecnt electric lamp l0, may be a edle power riungsten electric light ci" a diameter les Lian the internal diameter' oi 'the opening (5 which is surrounded by the 'ii nge of the bowl-shaped depression 5 formed the plate 4,' the lamp or light l0 being maintained by a socket ll which has a ange to be engaged by a shoulder on the tube 3 and the edge oi' the flange 7, the tube also lbeing adapted to receive a connector 12. i llo replace a lamp the connector 12 is irst removed. vfrom the tui e, the tube is then unf screwed to admit of the removal ot the socket and the .lamp so that a new one can bel inserted, iii the socket. v Y

'ihe'device constructed as described lothe lamp Within the casing so as to avoid projecting parts and to protect the lamp, the illumination from the lamp being confined to the iight chamber between the dial and the cylinder or number Wheels to render the ai thereof immediately opposite the openfs visible,

on of the lamp and the bowlaber therefor as Well as the tube es the socket and connector, when one is used, may be varied to suit the mechanism contained Within the casing, and the opening through casing instead of being as shown may be tln'ough the side of the easing, or elsewhere, but always beneath an opaque dial face so that the rays will not be in line with the eyes of the user.

l claim.

l. in an odometer or speedometer having a diei with openings therethrough and indicators maintained kopposite the aforesaid openings through the dial, a plate having therethrough openings which register with the openings through the dial the plate being maintained to provide a space between the same and the dial said plate having a deportion, and a lamp maintained Within the depressed portion of the plate.

K f2. lin a device of the 'character set forth7 a dial having sight openings therethrough, a plate that is spaced apart from and is maintained parallel with thedial said plate e passed. the center of the indicating te the light rays illuminating with the openings through the dialthrough I which extend a portion of the indicators said plate also having a depressed portion, a lamp associated with the plate and means for maintaining the plate and dial separated to provide a light chamber.

4. In a device' of the character set forth, an opaque dial having a sight opening there through the opposite sides of the sight opening being 4bent todae disposed at converging angles above the plane ofthe dial, a cylin drical indicator maintained so that its sur face'will be below the plane oi the dial, an illuminating means maintained so that direct light rays therefrom Will illuminate an 'exposed portion of the indicator and deflected light rays will illuminate the exposed portion of the indicatorl on the opposite side ot the center of the indicator from that part thereof which is illuminated by the direct light rays. v

5. in a device of the character described, a casing, a dial having sight openings therethrough, a plate which is maintained parallel with the dial and is provided with openings which register With the sight openings through the dial said plate also having a depressed bowl-shaped portion With a hollow tubular Wall, a member maintained in detachable engagement with the tubular wall, and a socket for an electric lamp associated with the hollow tubular Wall of the plate and 'with its detachable engaging member.

EDlVARD S. ABRAHAMS.

l Tvl/vitnesses:

WILLIAM J. SHAFER, lV. H. KUEHRMANN. 

